Team building ideas
Hands-on activities that work for teams: what each one is like, where it can run and which occasions it suits. Pick one and we find a host in your city.
Pottery
Clay is the great leveller: nobody is good at it on day one, and everybody leaves with something they made.
Hand-building with clay
One long table, a block of clay each and plenty of conversation. Easy to bring to the office. 2–3h
Team socials · Away days and offsites · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeks · Christmas partiesWheel-throwing taster
Everyone struggles at the wheel together, then cheers the first pot that stays up. Good for teams who enjoy a challenge. 2–3h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeksPaint your own pottery
No skill needed and nothing to clean up. Everyone ends up with a mug that is unmistakably theirs. 1.5–2.5h
Team socials · Christmas parties · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeksPhoto: Andrea Calabretta, CC BY 2.0
Cocktails
A bartender, a bar and a few good recipes. Lively, social and easy to make alcohol-free.
Cocktail masterclass
A lively evening with a bartender, a friendly shake-off and drinks you made yourself. 1.5–2.5h
Team socials · Client evenings · Christmas partiesZero-proof cocktail class
Inclusive by design: the fun of a cocktail class without the alcohol. Great for daytime and mixed teams. 1.5–2h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeks · Client evenings · Christmas partiesGin blending
Part tasting, part chemistry set. Everyone leaves with a bottle of a gin they invented. 1.5–3h
Client evenings · Team socials · Christmas parties
Candle making
Wax, wicks and a table full of scents. Calm, creative and easy to bring to the office.
Scented candle making
Smell, blend, pour. A calm, creative session that fits on any office table and makes a great gift. 1.5–2.5h
Christmas parties · Team socials · Wellbeing weeks · New-joiner welcomesConcrete vessel and candle
Two crafts in one: cast the pot, pour the candle. It looks like a design-shop buy. 2–3h
Team socials · Wellbeing weeks · Christmas partiesHand-dipped candles
Slow, rhythmic and calming, with a pair of tapers for the festive table at the end. 1.5–2.5h
Christmas parties · Wellbeing weeks
Cooking
Cook together, then sit down and eat together. The shared meal does half the work.
Fresh pasta making
Cook together, then eat together. The shared meal at the end does the team building for you. 2–3h
Team socials · Client evenings · Away days and offsites · Christmas partiesSushi making
Neat, quiet concentration followed by a sushi feast. Works in a kitchen studio or set up in your office. 2–3h
Team socials · Client evenings · New-joiner welcomesDumpling making
Folding dumplings around one table is about as sociable as cooking gets, and it ends with a feast. 2–3h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Away days and offsites
Baking
Dough, chocolate and buttercream: practical skills with a delicious ending.
Chocolate making
Tasting, tempering and a box of truffles each. An easy win for Christmas and client evenings. 1.5–2.5h
Christmas parties · Team socials · Client eveningsCake decorating
Creative, colourful and edible. A competitive streak usually appears at the piping stage. 2–3h
Team socials · Christmas parties · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeksSourdough bread making
Slow, practical and calming, with fresh bread at the end. A good fit for a wellbeing day. 3–5h
Wellbeing weeks · Away days and offsites · Team socials
Floristry
Seasonal flowers, foliage and greenery, arranged by your own hands.
Wreath making
The classic festive team activity: one big table, armfuls of greenery and a wreath each. 2–3h
Christmas parties · Team socials · Client evenings · Wellbeing weeksHand-tied bouquet
Colourful and calming, with flowers for every desk at the end. Florists bring everything to you. 1.5–2.5h
Wellbeing weeks · Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Client eveningsTerrarium making
A tiny garden for every desk. Calm, tidy and easy to set up in the office. 1.5–2h
Wellbeing weeks · Team socials · New-joiner welcomes
Painting
Brushes, pens and paper for people who say they cannot draw, and those who secretly can.
Paint and sip
Same painting, a dozen very different results. Relaxed, social and easy to scale up. 2–3h
Team socials · Christmas parties · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeksWatercolour painting
Quiet, absorbing and screen-free. A gentle choice for wellbeing weeks and calmer teams. 2–3h
Wellbeing weeks · New-joiner welcomes · Away days and offsitesModern calligraphy
A focused, mindful session with a useful skill at the end. Perfect before the season's cards go out. 2–3h
Wellbeing weeks · New-joiner welcomes · Christmas parties
Jewellery
From strings of beads to soldered silver, something you made and will actually wear.
Beaded jewellery
Lots of choice and lots of chat. Easy to run anywhere, and everyone leaves with something to wear. 1.5–2.5h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Christmas parties · Wellbeing weeksSilver ring making
Small, focused and premium. Everyone leaves wearing a silver ring they soldered themselves. 2.5–4h
Client evenings · Wellbeing weeksPolymer clay earrings
Colourful, bold and completely achievable. Everyone goes back to work wearing their own earrings. 2–2.5h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeks
Textiles
Thread, cord and ink on fabric: slow, mindful crafts that keep your hands busy.
Block printing on fabric
Carve a stamp, print a bag. Try a shared team motif for a printed souvenir of the day. 2–3h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Away days and offsites · Christmas parties · Wellbeing weeksEmbroidery
Quiet, focused and portable. A good pick for wellbeing weeks and teams who need to switch off. 2–3h
Wellbeing weeks · New-joiner welcomes · Team socialsMacramé
A few knots, repeated, and a wall hanging at the end. Calm, chatty and easy to host anywhere. 2–3h
Wellbeing weeks · Team socials · New-joiner welcomes
Woodwork
Fresh wood, sharp tools and sawdust: proper projects that last for years.
Chopping board making
Practical, satisfying and useful. Everyone carries home a board they will use for years. 3–6h
Away days and offsites · Team socials · Christmas partiesSpoon carving
Hand tools, fresh wood and quiet concentration. A good fit for an outdoor away day. 3–6h
Away days and offsites · Wellbeing weeksStool making
A full day and a real piece of furniture. Ideal for a small team that wants a proper project. 6–8h
Away days and offsites · Wellbeing weeks
Perfume & soap
Scent, oils and a little kitchen chemistry, bottled and wrapped to take home.
Perfume making
Everyone smells their way to a signature scent. Personal, sociable and easy to bring to an office. 1.5–2.5h
Team socials · Client evenings · Wellbeing weeksSoap making
Hands-on chemistry with a fragrant result. Easy to run at the office in its melt-and-pour form. 1.5–3h
Wellbeing weeks · Team socials · Christmas partiesBath bombs and bath salts
Quick, playful and messy in a good way. A self-care kit each, made in under two hours. 1–2h
Wellbeing weeks · Team socials · Christmas parties
Photography
Better photos from the camera you already have, indoors or out on the street.
Smartphone photography
Everyone already has the camera. Short challenges and a shared show-and-tell keep it lively. 1.5–3h
Team socials · New-joiner welcomes · Away days and offsites · Wellbeing weeksPhoto walk
Fresh air, a new neighbourhood and a show-and-tell of the best shots at the end. 2–3h
Team socials · Away days and offsites · New-joiner welcomes · Wellbeing weeksCamera basics: off auto mode
A practical skill with instant results. Bring the cameras gathering dust in the office cupboard. 2–4h
New-joiner welcomes · Away days and offsites · Wellbeing weeks
Planning something for your team?
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